Shedding light on drug-related hospital emergencies in Europe

Every year, thousands of people across Europe require hospital treatment for drug-related poisoning and other acute harms. In a new analysis published today, European Drug Emergencies Network (Euro-DEN Plus): data and analysis, the EUDA provides the latest findings on people who present with acute drug-toxicity to hospital emergency services.

Drawing on data from 29 sentinel hospitals in 19 countries (18 EU Member States plus Norway), the results show that cocaine is the most commonly reported drug in these cases, that men account for three-quarters of the presentations, and that polydrug use is common.

The EUDA collects and analyses data on emergency department presentations with acute drug toxicity via the European Drug Emergencies Network (Euro-DEN Plus). This forms part of the EUDA’s multi-indicator approach, designed to track emerging drug trends, support timely responses and inform local interventions in a rapidly evolving situation.

Since its creation in 2013, the network has been tracking drug-related emergencies through a growing number of sentinel hospitals in the EU and Norway. The latest findings also draw on data from other countries and selected beneficiaries of EU-funded technical cooperation projects, implemented by the EUDA (EU4MD II, IPA8). This brings the total number of participating hospitals to close to 50.

The Euro-DEN Plus project provides evidence on the nature and extent of harms associated with the use of drugs such as cannabis, cocaine, heroin and other opioids, amphetamines and new psychoactive substances. It also covers harms associated with drugs taken with other substances, including medicines and alcohol.

Key insights from the latest data include:

• Profiles: Men (75%) dominated presentations, with a mean age of 33 years (compared to 30 for women). Among presentations aged 10 to 19 years, the proportion of females was higher (38%) compared to the overall presentations (25%).
• Substances: In 2024, 35% of cases involved a single drug, 22% a drug plus alcohol, and 43% multiple substances. Cocaine was reported in over a quarter of cases (26%), followed by cannabis (24%) and amphetamines (14%).
• Admissions: Over two-thirds (69%) of patients arrived by ambulance, two-thirds (67%) were medically discharged directly from the emergency department and half stayed there less than six hours. A third of cases occurred at the weekend.